What are police agencies doing to better address the recruitment issue of women and...

What are police agencies doing to better address the recruitment issue of women and minorities?

Recruiting in a police department presents a major challenge. Not only must the human resource department be sure it is recruiting an individual who has the ability to maintain the minimum requirements and standards, it must be accountable fiscally to the public as well. A tremendous amount of monies goes into hiring a police officer. When the hiring process is taken into account, the initial equipment set up and the training time the average cost can range from $20,000 to $50,000. Human Resource Departments also have the issue of being compliant with minority recruitment.

I think that the issue has become one that has been recognized as something that needs to be addressed. One of the most impressive elements that has been spoken of in professional circles amongst police recruitment discussions has been to establish outreach to communities in ensuring that representation is not an issue. This model of community and poice recruitment collaboration opens dialogue between communities impacted by the crisis of representation and the police force. It allows a greater dialogue between both to be evident. In doing so, a potential existential barrier that might preclude women and minorities to be enlisted in the police force is minimized. Human resources departments are educated as to the needs of the community, and the police force becomes more culturally relevant to individuals who have felt silenced or marginalized by police hiring techniques. This involves a best practices inventory that will enable greater outreach to be evident. In adopting this model, I think that police agencies can represent a better approach to address the recruitment issue of women and minorities.